From time to time in human history, a number of inventions follow each other closely and produce a total effect that resembles a revolution. In the 18th century, the invention of the steam engine made changes possible in manufacturing and transportation. These changes were called the Industrial Revolution, In the last 10 years, we have learned to connect computers with each other to produce the Internet, and a new Information Revolution is occurring.
The Information Revolution is changing the way we live. Through the Internet, innodividual computer users connect to more than 40,000 computer networks of scholarly and scientific information. Every day 30 million messages travel from user to user via the Internet. There are now at least 20 million users (perhaps twice as many!) in more than 60 countries. The Internet is growing so fast that nobody knows for sure how many people are on it.
The Internet connects computers in three ways. First, one innodividual can exchange a message with another innodividual by computer; this is called electronic mail (e-mail). In a variation of e-mail, an innodividual can send a message to a group of users who belong to an electronic bulletin board service, which is a kind of discussion group. By far the most common use of the Internet is e-mail, both for innodividuals and for groups.
Second, an innodividual can enter the files of a computer at a remote site to access library holdings, scholarly information, and government documents. Third, if the innodividual finds important information in a file, he may transfer that file back to his own computer by means of a file transfer protocol, or FTP.
As a result of this electronic communication, the world is shrinking. We are creating an information age. People who never meet face-to-face are communicating daily, across great distances, across political and geographic boundaries.
For example, the Internet is changing how scientists do their work. It is cheaper and quicker to display the results of research on the Net than to publish an article in print. Reaction to new discoveries is immediate and interactive. These days, scientists are discussing their work and reacting to others' work on a daily basis.
The networks are also influencing business practices in marketing, advertising, and hiring. Consumers are reporting their needs directly to companies, and they are sending suggestions for changes in product design. Unemployed workers are turning to electronic employment services, which list job requirements and benefits in a far wider geographic area than was possible before the Internet.
In addition, the electronic discussion groups are creating a new style of social relations. People of similar interests are talking to each other using only text on a screen. Physical features such as age, appearance, and social class are hidden behind the screen. From their homes, e-mail users are finding new friends to discuss movies, hobbies, family life, health problems, fashion, travel, and politics. These discussions can be private (if the message is sent to an innodividual e-mail address) or quite public (if everyone in the group receives the message).
Politicians are paying attention to the political debate in electronic discussion groups, because the Internet is a good place to learn which issues really interest the voters. In some cases, politicians are changing their positions in response to the opinions on the Internet.
Internet technology is becoming simpler, and people are finding it easier to use. Traffic is growing rapidly on the network, and the government is considering ways to include more information. One view of the future is that soon we will all use an “information superhighway” embracing computer networks, telephone connections, and cable TV in a single system.
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